Athletic garment



' Nov. 3, 1931. c; E D RM 1,830,351

ATHLETIC GARMENT Filed June 27, 1929 INE/ENTOR.

U/mr/es E Dora: 5

Patented Nov. 3, 1931 'GVHARILESVE; some, or DETROIT; MICHIGAN ATHLETE GARMENT 7 Application filed 11115. 1929.; Serial No. 374,067.

jThis invention relates to an 'athleticgar-i 'ment, and it has toido' especially with-the :-constru'ction of a. garment at. a place infliclose oint of a wearer, suclras. a

proximity to a knee or'elbow. v V The inventionaims to provide, in an athletic garment, a constru'ct'ion"which will give freedom of movement ofthe kne e or otherjoint of thejwearer, but in whichgthe construction is suchas to' nicely fit the wearer at all times. In other words, the construc r tion gives freedomof movement for the bendingjofthe knee or 'otherjoint, but ,when fthe joint is straight, thegfa'rment' isnoturrduly loose or baggy, butin contrast thereto,'mcely {its the wearer. This is accomplishedby pro- V 'viding a construction which involves anexreference to es.

cess of material which is arrangedto The folded up, and more or less concealed in one 20 positionkof the knjee'., Furthermormthe inposition, but which comes into play in another vention provides for a nicety offfit inf'a padding or protector; adjacentthe knee, in

that this protector can bemade so as to grip the "leg of the wearer snugly is not re-. quired to be shifted 'due to' d awin of the material in the garment upon the bending of "the knee. Still further, the invention contemplates the provision ofalnovel padding, v

- whereverpaddingis required in such a garor protector arrangement, which is useful ment. f V, The invention will be better-understood by t mj e y eriv wherein: I 'i: v, rigs. 1 is a view of garment'constructed in accordance withthe invention. i

Fig.. .2 is an enlarged view ofthe knee portionthereof. :Fig. 3' is a view similar to'Flgg 2, but taken fromthe rear side of the garment 'witlrapfart cutaway to show the interior construction.

j Fig. 2.:

Q'Figf l is a section taken' ji li 'j QfFig 5 a seetion taken on line f Fig. 6 is a sectional"view similarto Fig; 5, illustrating the =garment, bentito its is maximum, and illustrating theexcess ofrna terial as it functions. at thistime, "Ti

. shown.

garments, it is especially adapted for use with trousers or pants utilized in the game of football, or other similar games, and according- 1y, for the purpose of illustratiomit hasbeen elected to show the invention in association with athletic pants, thesame being illustrated at 1. The legs terminate slightly below the knee of the wearer in the form of a protector, or padding device for the, knee". The bod tr the garment may be made of the usual duck materiahwhile the lower portionlterminates in a leg gripping and pad member 2; This member is suitably stitched to the lowerend' of the leg portion, and it is made of elastiqor flexible webbing. This member 2 may advantageously entirely circle the leg, andit may be madein two parts; one part, 2a isat therear, while another part, 26 is'at the frontof the garment. The two parts maybe stitched together as at 3. The part 2a iscut in an upward curve, as illustratedin Fig. 3, so as to facilitate the bending ofthe knee in that there is less material to be folded at this time. 7 'At theffront'of the garment, pad devices 4 are used, which are coveredby suitable duck material 5 stitched to :thev member 2?), as y Tliese pads are preferably, of the well known rubber foam, or sponge rubber.

- Thus,'the end of the leg portion ofthe garmentis 'of novel constructionand arranged to tightly grip the leg of the, wearer, and at the same time, provide adequate protection through the pad members 4;. The webmemher 2 and the 'priotector members, or pad memberst are both elastic, and accordingly,

when one is distended, the other may move therewith. Accordingly, a very neat fitting. arrangement is had, and there is; no p ucker ing or doubling up of material, norexcess of material provided. There is, of course, sufiicientgmate'rial in the cover member 5, to

permit of stretchingthe web and pad.

v The front portion of the leg of. this ment,at or about. the location of'the. knee,

is; providedwith a-Jconstructioninvolving excess T material which comes into playv upon the bending off the knee. The material of the body'of the leg terminates substantially I flush with the upperedge of the paddinge, as clearly illustrated.iniFig. 5. That is, it is .fiush when the garment is straight, as illustrated in Fig. 5; The lower edge of the front 7 portion of the-body of the leg is preferably reinforced, and rendered somewhat stiffened by the; addition of a suitable duck strip 6, stitched thereto, as at 7 and 8.' This lower is secured thereto through'the means of an intermediate excess of material 9. 'Thisma terialY9 may be secured to the body of the terial," which, however, does not interfere with the appearance-of the garment. If desired, an additional felt pad,-'or thelike, 12 maybe secured to the insideof the garment,

' arranged tonormallycover the flap member 9'.

' When the wearer bends his knee, the body of the garment 1 pulls upwardly, as illustrated in Fig. .6, tending to separate from the padding,fwhich is permitted by the excess material, which, in itsextreme extended positron, appears simllarto the showing in 6. Due to the fact that the lower edge of'the pantv leg is stiffened! somewhat by the addition of the strip 6,;the flap '9' is again caused J to be folded underneath the lower edge of the pant leg upon the straightening of the knee.v No material stiffening of the lower edge of the leg isrequ-ired but the additional strip gives the loweredgea degree of stift? ness,jor"rather renders it less flexible, than edge of the pant leg tends to lie relatively flat, causing folding'of the member?) underneaththe same, upon the straightening ofthe leg of the wearer. V i

' It will be observed thatowlien the wearer of such a garment is standing erect, that the same .fi'ts snugly to the wearer. The snugness of the meinber2 around the leg is such I thatino material slippage, relative to theleg "occurs "1n other words, the lower edge of the: garment stays fixed as regards the leg of the wearer, which is permitted bythe use of.

*the'flap of excessmaterialf 'I-Ieretoforejggarr merits-of" th-is naturegwere made relatively loose fitting at their extreme lower edge,: to-

permit the same to draw up when thewearer was a crouching position, or with. theknee c bentf Thisfhowever, cause'dthe' garment to L- to be loose fitting sotha't it would flap around edge of the leg is not secured directly to the bottom member 2 at the front. of the leg, but

leg by the stitches 8, and it is stitched tothe the. single strip 9, and accordingly, the lower somewhat', for instance, when the wearer was running; but in the garment of this inven- 7 tion, a neat tight fit is had at all times, yet

of the knee or otherfjoint.

In-some of the .claimsappended hereto use is made'of the term distended; By such provision is made for freedom of movement 7 :use it? is? not intended that the strip: is drawn 'taut' when the leg is bent substantially to the maximum as there may be suflicient materialrin the strip: to unfold-under. a maximum bend and yetnotdraw or become taut.

1. In anathletictrouser, a trouser leg comprising, a main leg portion, a terminating leg portion adapted to snuglygripthe legof the wearer, on the side ofjthe wearers knee opposite' the main legportion, nsaid portions beingsecured togetherat theback and sides of the leg, and 'an additiona-l'rel'atively flexible strip connecting said portions atthe front ofthe-leg andarra'nged'to be folded up when the trouser leg'is substantially straight and distended when the trouser leg is bent,gthe

l'ower'edge of the main portion of the trouser leg 'at the front of the trouser terminating norm-ally below the upperedge of the said terminating portion, and'the said strip. being adapted tov fold underneath the said edgeof the main trouser portion and to be concealed thereby. I.

2. In anathletic trouser, a trouser leg comprising, a main leg portion, an elastic terminating'portion arranged to snugly grip'the legof the wearer, said portions being directly secured together at the back and sides ofthe leg, a reinforcing stiffening strip at the front lower edge of the main leg portion, which front lower edge terminates substantially flush'with the elastic web portion,' a relatively flexible strip of material connecting the lower 'edge'of the main leg portion at the front-with the upper edge of the elastic web ortion at the'front andfar'ranged .to be fol ed underneath the reinforced lower edge when the trouser leg is substantially straight, and to be distended when the trouserleg is bent;

3. In anathletic trouser, a trouser leg c'omprisi'ng,a main leg portion, a terminating portion comprisingian elastic web for snugly grippingthe leg of the wearer, said'porti'ons being secured together at the back andjfront of the leg, said terminating portion having aprotectin'g padding thereon, the'front lower edge of the mainleg portion terminating subunde rneaithv the front loweredge of the main leg portion and beingmorefl'exibl'e thanthe said. front lower edgepand connecting the said main portion and terminating portion of the leg and adapted to be distended'fwhen the leg is" bent;

4 4." In an athletic trousen atrouserlegcom;

prising a mainlegiportioma terminating leg 'stantially flush with said padding, and a strip 7 of excessmaterial lyingin a fol'ded posi'tion -f 5ai0n adapted torelatively' fit the leg of the wearer on the side org-the wearers v knee opposite-the main 1e portion, means securing said portions toget er at the back of 5 the leg,,and an additional relatively flexible strip connecting said portionsatthe frontof the leg with said strip and said' securin' means substantially coinciding at the sides 0 t the leg, said strip being arranged to be folded '7 i up .when the trouser leg is substantially f f straight and unfoldedwhenf the trouser leg is bent, the lower edge of the main portion 1' of the trouser leg at the front terminating adjacent the upper edge, of said terminating v portion, and the said strip being adapted to fold underneath said edge of the main trouser portion and tobe concealed thereby.. 5. Inan athletic trouser, a trouserleg comprising a main leg portion, aterminating-leg portion adapted to fit a legofthe wearer on the side of the wearers kne'e opposite the main leg portion; said portions at the back of the fleg being substantially continuous, said por tions at the front being divided, excess mate rial connecting the portions at the front,;the

lower edge of the'main'leg portionand' thev upper edge of 'theterminating leg portion f. substantially coinciding when the leg is sub- I stantially straight,fat,least one of said leg 0 portions at the front adjacent thefdivision between the portionsbeing relatively stiff as compared tothe excess material, said excess a material being arranged with'a normally inwardly extending fold whereby to lie within the divided edges'of the leg portions when the I leg-is substantially straight'tofbe concealed thereby, said excess'material being adapted I to be distendedwlien the trouser leg is bent. I c

In testimony whereof-I afiix my signature.

'40 ARLES DORAIS'. 

